My wife Judith and I went on a trip last July to the United States for the first time. The long plane trip was also our first time, and it was really not a comfortable experience. The plane of Northwest Airlines is cozy, the food is great, our seat mate (a Canadian pastor) was very accommodating - but the mere fact that we were seated for almost half a day is very unnerving. After a nearly 20 hour flight (with stops in Nagoya, Japan and Detroit, USA), we reached Boston, MA last July 6.
When we arrived in Logan airport, we were expecting to ride a taxi going to the home of our hosts, but to our surprise, they were actually waiting for us in the airport already! Our welcoming committee - Rainier Covar, my partner in Eye Republic Clinic and his brother-in-law JR Lacson (who is also my fraternity brod) - were already there. It was so gratifying to see familiar faces in a practically new and unfamiliar world.
It was the start of the Lacson family's very generous accommodation to me and Judith. JR and Rainier toured us immediately to downtown Boston coming from the airport. We arrived around 5 in the afternoon, the weather was great, so we had a nice introductory tour of Bean City riding in an Audi Quattro Q7 SUV. Boston is calming, very urban yet homy. The Lacson residence is in Lexington, a suburban area of Boston. Once we reached their home, we met Rainier's sister, Ron (who is also a sorority sis) and her 2 charming sons Eddie and Roger. They gave us their spacious guest room all for ourselves. Once we were settled, they treated us with a steak and lobster meal for our first dinner. So far, we were enjoying our vacation, big time!
The main reason for our trip in Boston is to attend the World Glaucoma Congress. It is a biannual convention of glaucoma societies all over the world, and as a member of the Philippine Glaucoma Society, I decided to attend the event, having attended the convention 2 years ago in Singapore. Since the start of the convention was July 8th, we were still free on July 7th the whole day, and Ron toured us the whole day in Boston. She gave us our week pass tickets for the Boston T, treated us for lunch in a Japanese buffet restaurant, showed us the good sights in downtown Boston riding in her Benz E class car. We went to the Harvard Square and marveled at the serene campus of the school grounds. Once we reached their home, we were again full in our stomachs with their sumptuous meal specially prepared for us.
We were also adjusting to the extended daytime. We were accustomed to the 6pm night time back home, but since it is summer time in the States, night time starts at around 9pm. We found it also very amusing to see caucasians taking advantage of the sun on every chance they can have. We see them on the street or on the park sitting or reading or eating under the sun. Of course, me and Judith will go to the shade every time there's an opportunity.
The glaucoma convention was great. I attended most of the symposia and lectures, learned new ideas, took down notes, took pictures and recorded videos. In the interim, Rainier and I would meet Judith in the mall near the convention area, and again do sight seeing. Judith had this fixation to the death of Michael Jackson that she has read most of the magazines featuring him to pass the time waiting for us. She was also able to meet one of her childhood friend who was now based in Boston with her family.
Prominent places we saw in Boston: Fenway Park, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Harvard Campus, Brigham-Young Hospital, the Apple Store, the TD Garden and most of the Freedom Trail via the Boston Duck Tour. I enjoyed the Fenway Park Tour being a sports fan. We were able to go down the batting area and all the way up to the Green Monster wall - Judith even met a young Fil-Am woman working in the Tour; we got some souvenirs from the park as well. The Duck Tour was also great. We rode an amphibious vehicle which traversed the downtown streets of Boston to tour the tourist spots, then transformed into a boat to see the tourist spots while on the Charles River! Kung may ganyan na sasakyan sa Pinas, ok lang ang baha.
One thing we really miss back home are the kids. This is the first time that we were away from them for this long. So before we left, I have set-up 2 computers to access Skype, a computer program wherein users of this program can communicate via the internet for free, with video. I have taught our helpers back home how to use the computers, so the longing to see our kids were lessened whenever we see and talk to the kids. They were excited to see and talk to us, and they believe that we were not really away and we're just inside the computers!
Of course, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end. Our last day in Boston was July 11. Rainier and I still attended the morning sessions of the convention, then the Lacson family again feted us with a despedida Brazilian steakhouse late lunch. We barely reached the bus station in time going to New York. But with help from JR and Rainier, we made it to our bus, thus ending our wonderful stay in Boston. I mentioned to JR that the best part of our Boston trip is not the sights of the place but the hospitality we received from their family. We will be eternally grateful and will cherish them always and hopefully we can return the favor in the near future.
Next stop: New York!
To view pictures of our Boston Trip, please click HERE.
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